


As Precious As Gold

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: Fireside Tales [39]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, GFY, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2014-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-07 09:39:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sirius tells himself that he doesn't really miss home, hoping that if he repeats it to himself often enough, he might actually begin to believe it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Precious As Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Sirius Black, being homesick and being teased for it  
> Prompt: Salt  
> Alternate Universe: Gray Ships

Sirius tells himself that he doesn't really miss home, hoping that if he repeats it to himself often enough, he might actually begin to believe it. The bigger things, oddly - friends, Harry, being able to fight Voldemort - are the easiest to stop missing. It's the little things that are the hardest. Like salt that's cheap and plentiful, rather than an expense reserved for Thranduil and his kin.

Even as a friend of Legolas, insomuch as a mortal man can be friends with an immortal elf, he isn't afforded salt at anything other than the most lavish of banquets. And even then, he's only allowed limited access to the salt pot.

"You might be a wealthy man where you come from, but none of that is here." Thranduil is watching him watch the salt pot, and as far as Sirius can tell, is rather amused by Sirius's fondness for the condiment when he can get it. "If you can afford to buy your own salt, I will not stop you from using it all in the first meal."

Sirius snorts. "You don't pay me to hunt spiders or anything else, so how can I afford to buy salt?" Much less anything else - he's been given clothing in return for his work in the forest, and a sword because they can't believe he doesn't need anything other than his wand for a weapon. But those aren't payment, and he's yet to see any coin for his work.

"You have clothing, food, a place to shelter, and a weapon." Thranduil smiles for a moment, though the expression makes Sirius want to roll his eyes. The last time he did that, though, he'd been stuck watching a staircase for a week. "It's more than a fair wage for doing the same work as any of my guards may do."

Only in a world which doesn't have practical magic are clothes, food, shelter, and weapons a fair wage without anything else to accompany them. Sirius forces himself to stop staring at the salt pot, and prods at his food instead as he bites back a comment about how none of Thranduil's guards know what spider tastes like, or how to explode the pests.

**Author's Note:**

> Third story in this series that involves Sirius, in this case, the Gray Ships crossover, during the ten years in Middle Earth between Sirius's unexpected arrival, and that of Andromeda and Draco. Sirius remains in Middle Earth later, when Andromeda and Draco both chose to take a chance at leaving, because he has friends and a life here, and has been away from their world long enough that Middle Earth is home in a way that the wizarding world is unlikely to be again.
> 
> Also, the thing with the salt and not paying Sirius in coin is mostly Thranduil's way of getting something back for the headache Sirius tends to cause Thranduil simply by being himself.


End file.
